If momma says no, just ask dad: Collins signs with Arkansas

Maybe an odd choice, considering that on the day he was supposed to sign his letter of intent with Arkansas, it was his mother's
signature that couldn't be found.

No matter. A day later than he intended — and after yet another odd twist to his recruiting saga — Collins signed with the
Razorbacks on Thursday. The highly rated and highly coveted running back from South Plantation High near Fort Lauderdale,
Fla., did so with his father providing the written consent required by NCAA rules.

Collins said his mother, who would not sign
the letter of intent on Wednesday as many expected, supported his
college decision.
But she was notably absent from his hastily scheduled event on
Thursday, and a law firm founded by former O.J. Simpson attorney
Johnnie Cochran said that Andrea McDonald retained their services
to represent "the family's interests."

That announcement was made about 45 minutes before Alex Collins and his father Johnny Collins put pens to paper, officially
sealing his college choice.

"I'm happy it's over," Alex Collins said. "I didn't think about going anywhere else because I had my mind set. This is where
I wanted to go. I just talked to my mom. I let her know. I explained myself and we have a better understanding."

The running back said he was unaware that
his mother hired attorney Jack Paris from the Cochran Law Firm,
insisting that "no
one hired any lawyers." But in a statement Thursday, Paris said
the Collins family wanted "to make a clean choice that is
free of any outside influences." A message was left at Paris'
office seeking comment about McDonald's plans now that her son
got his father's consent and signed with Arkansas.

"It's where he wanted to go," said Johnny Collins, who was not part of Wednesday's planned ceremony.

Alex Collins ran for 2,915 yards and scored
38 touchdowns in his final two high school seasons, with some services
touting
him as the top all-purpose runner in this year's recruiting class.
He originally committed to Miami, then opened his recruiting
up in order to see other parts of the country. He said the ongoing
NCAA investigation into the Hurricanes' athletic compliance
practices played no role in his decision.

He said his mother is fine with the choice
to go to Arkansas, but was leery that he was committing to go to school
far from
home and was worried that he had not fully thought the decision
through. Collins said his mother missed Thursday's event because
of her work schedule.

"From her standpoint, she wants to make sure this is the right decision for me," he said.

Arkansas said it received the paperwork shortly after Collins' signing event concluded.

Collins' recruitment was only one of the
headline-grabbing stories involving this past season's South Plantation
football
roster. In August, South Plantation senior Erin Dimeglio became
the first female to play quarterback for a Florida boys' high
school team.